martes, 3 de enero de 2012

S.E.C.S.: New Structural Efficiency Clasification System

QuI+D believes in learning through research, so in this way we aboard right now an ambitious project we thought some years ago.

Intro

On building construction it is used to design structures that simply comply with standards. Structural Technicians (engineers, architects, others) need to fit their fares, so they can not spend much time on each project.

By adding, structural ‘design’ software warn points or pieces that fail, but NOT WHY they fail (this requires reasoning, so it is imperative a techinician handling the program), so:

Structures are not designed any more: a geometry is introduced into a calculation program that notice about failing parts, so they are ‘enlarged’. That is considered enough.

But a computer program does not know wether the structural geometry is appropriate, wether material chosen is adequate or each piece section is right for its use and resulting stresses. Nor analyzes influence of other pieces in hiperstatic models.

Software does not design, just quantifies.

But in our society current state, should not they take into account some other criteria in addition to the existing policy? Should not be designed efficient structures that reduce the enviromental impact and adjust material using?

Through our extensive experience we have found so badly designed structures that, once redesigned, needed only 30% of the provided material. Propuer analysis and design reduced material costs by 70% and structural budget was 60% cheaper than originally planned.

Because of these, our proposal is to develope a system to analyze structures efficiency, the same way you do with electrical appliances or light bulbs.

The whole project will be developed on our broad theoretical base and our experience in designing and implementing building structures.

We will try to publish the achieved progresses weekly.

We do not have any private or institutional. If you would help just become a follower or click on any banner of the blog.

Our final aim is to publish all our findings under an Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License, as Wikipedia.

Will be called S.E.C.S. (Structural Efficiency Classification System) and shall compare any structure with an ideal one that covers the same technical and regulatory requirements. This involved the following:

Objectives

Develop diagnostic tools to detect deviations from the actual structures, through inefficiency coefficients: buckling, slenderness, distribution, number of families...

Research Lines

Study of Units and Systems with minimal amount of structure*.

(Amount of Structure = axile effort x length)

Evaluation of different structural materials, including its global / local stocks, costs, CO2 emissions in their production / commissioning work / maintenance / reuse or recycling; all in terms of their service life.

Developement of parameters and coefficients of inefficiency to be introduced into the equations.

Methodology

Mathematical description of the ‘amount of structure’ in the different structural models –including buckling-, wich allows derivation and obtaining maximum and minimum.

Definition and developement of partial factors of inefficiency.

Documentation of the service life and methods of production, commissioning work, maintenance and reuse / recycling of any building material.

Management and compartmentalization of information so as to allow the incorporation of new materials and structural models on the same funcional scheme.